Pneumatic actuating unit.



Patented Aug. 30; 191 0.

' I Bwfilim. la/rz anizn igz. 25 922619. Z'flzZlz'qm 772, OVJ'Z'Z QIZ flilovngys L M FRENCH & W M O'BRIEN PNEUMATIC AGTUATING UNIT. APPLICATION FILED 1mm 23, 1909 F smaller where the thin walls are-used.

Unrrm) STATES PATENT orricn;

or cnrcneo, ILLIQ()(:bgiS;gb;q0:

LAMAR'IINE FRENCH AND WILLIAM M. OBEIEE,

TO ARISTON lIAN'O-IPLAYER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC nc'run'rmo UNIT.

968,546. Specification of Letters Patent Patented Aug. 30, 1910. Application filed June as, 1909. Serial no. 503,921. H

To all ivhom it may concern: i In the accompanying drawings, which c1earlyil1nst'rate our invention, Figure a top our invention, Fig.

Be it known that we, LAMARTINE Fnnson and 'WILLiAM M. OiBiuniv, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State 2 is a sectional view connects with the tracker-board through the 1 1s view of a pneumatic unit embodying of Illinois, have invented certain new and taken on plane'2-2, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actuan enlarged detail v ew showing the engage ating Units, of "which the following is a ment of the valve pm in the valve stem. complete, clear,*full, and. precise speciti- Th it ompris s a main supporting ration. a block 1 .at whose rear end is hung the actu-.. "Our invention relates. to pneumatic acating member 2, ,fabric 8 being secured 'tuating units for usein pneumatically opaboutthe lower edge of the block 1 and e'rated pianos and has for its object more themember 2 to ,orm a bellows compartsimplified' and more compact construction l ment 1; An extension 5 from the rearedge "and arrangement- DeViCeS Of t i Class of the .actuating'member 2 is adapted for usually comprise a plurality of compartconnection with the piano abstract, rods *ments, some of which are connected with either directly or through intermediate a source 015 vacuum during operation and mechanism. Cut in the block 1 are the up- O Of which a t Same ime are O 'per and lower diaphragm chambers "6' and 7 nected with the atmosphere, and it is desirseparated by the diaphragm 8, and on the able for .efiicient' operation that leakage beblock 1 is secured a sheet 9, which is prefertween the compartments be avoided. In "ably of celluloid or some kindred material, pneumatic unitsof the prior art, the walls this sheet forming a top flat-wall for the and partitions are usually of wood, which n per diaphragm chamber Secured on top is more or less porous and must be especially o the sheet 9 is a block 10 whose middle 5 treated to prevent leakage through its pores. ortion is cut away to form a valve cham- "These walls and partitions must. also be Ber 11 whose top wall is formed by the fiat quite*thick 'to give the necessary'strength, sheet 12, also preferably of celluloid or kinthe result being that the unit is large and clred material. A passage-way 13 through bulky and leaky, unless special packing be the block 1 connects the valve chamber wit provided or other treatment resorted to. the diaphragm chamber. In the sheet 9 f unit also comprises 1 -valve mechanism and over the diaphragm is the passage-way 14, 5

valve seats. In these prior devices the and above this assage-way is another pas passa e-ways to be controlled by the valves sa e-wa I 15 w ich normally connects the exten "through the wooden wall or partiva ve c amber with the atmos here. A' tion, and :thevalves vmust :be specially valve'stem 16 is secured at its ower .end

" padded, or special bushing mechanism must to the dia hragm-S and'loosely carries a in be providedabout the passage-Ways so that 17 on w ic is mounted a disk 18, aso air tight seating results. 7. 'preferably'of celluloid and .faced byv disks- 'Our inventionhas for. its particular fea- 19 and 20 preferably of sheep-skin. The ture theprov-ision'pf walls and partitions pin 17 extends upwardly through pass'ageof some vtough or resilient and very dense way 15 and is ided by a bridge piece 21, materiahprefi'ably in the formof celluloid also of celluloi and cemented to the top of heeting These'celluloid walls and partisheet 12. The pin 17 fits looselyin the item tionsj c a1i" made very thin and can be. 16' so that the valve may have lateralplay. cemented ri idly iii-place. IThe thi'ncellu As shown, the unit issup orted' at its end 'l oidbei'ng' at and practically non-porous from the tubular frame 22 ormingaschamand e1ast1c,-the valves canengage directl her which in practice is connected with a 'therewith without-the necessity of provid vacuum source, the front end of the block ing leather or other washers Eor bushin s to extending :nndeineath the frame. thereby cushion the valves and. to prevent lea age giving greater volume-tothe bellows. The 'therebyfl- The engagement :of the valves u per diaphragm chamber connects with the 5 with the celluloid is also noiseles sgg-The unit c amber of frame 22 throu h the passage- 1 asa'wholeisalsomore.compact 'and much Way 23,'and the lower diap ra chamber passageway 24,- tube having a b eed opening 27 through which the lower chamber also connects with thechamber formed by frame 22.

In practice, as the music travels over the tracker-board, the lower diaphragm cham-' her. is connected with atmosphere whereupon,

the diaphragm is thrown upwardly, the valve carried to 0 en passage-way 14 and to close the atmosp ere passage-way 15, and

the bellows chamber connecting with vacuum through passage-we 13, valve chamber 11, opening 14, upper iaphragm chamber and passage-way 23. When the tracker-board o ening controlling the pneumatic isagain c osed, the pressure in the diaphragm chambers will equalize through the bleed opening 27 and the diaphragm again followsto carry thevalveto its normal positlon m which the passage-way 14 is closed and the passage-way 15 openedi'so that the atmosphere can enter and distend the bellows.

' The celluloid sheets 9 and 12 can be made very thin, and owing to the density of the celluloid, there will be no leakage-there-- through. The thin sheets are also very resilient, and, therefore, cushion the valves and prevent noise. Owing to the reslhent and yielding arrangement, and on account of the loose engagement of the valve pin 17 in the stem '16, the valve uniformly and closely engages the sections about the assage-ways and air-tight fit is assured w1thout the necessity of special washers or bushings. The elastic resilient operation is further enhanced by the valve body in the form of a thin celluloid disk. The size and weightof the unit arealso very much deluloid cement which creased 'by using these thin walls.

Another important feature is that the celives a more yielding joint than ordinary g ue, and which, therefore, prevents a separatioh of the parts due to unequal expansion or contraction. The celluloid will not warp as will wood, and consequently the valve and valve seats will always retain their true form; There are also other advantages which celluloid or kindred material possess over wood.

Having thus described our invention, we

- desire to securethe following claims by Letters Patent.

1. In a. pneumatic unit of the class described, the combination of walls formin com artments, passageways lthrough sai wal s, and a valve for controlling said passageways, each wall being inthe formof a thin, flatcelluloid sheet against whose flat" surfaces the valve directly engages.-

2. Ina pneumatic device 'of the class de-,

scribed, the combination of a hollow block forming a valve chamber a thin flat sheet of celluloid secured to said wall for said compartment a a passe e-way through said well, and a valve,

ipe 2'5 ind-saleablock to form a ceases permeat -forseating-dated against as .wall' about the fiat surface 0 said passage way.--'- 3. In a pneumatic device of the class described, the combination of a, hollow block forming a chamber, a thin fiat sheet of celluloid secured to the block and forming a wall for said chamber, there bcin anppen ing through said wall, and a va ve 1n the .form of a celluloid disk for seating a ainst the flat surface of said wall-to control said openmg.

4:. In a pneumatic device of the class d'escribed, the combination of a hollow block formi celluloi secured to the block and forming a an opening through said wall,:a valve in the form of a celluloid; disk for seatin directly against the flat surface of said we 1 to control said opfning, a stem for said valve, and a guiding ridge for said stem, said bridge being in the form of a celluloid strip cemented across said .opening and to said celluloid wall.

5. In a pneumatic device of the class dea chamber, a thin flat sheet of I plain flat wall .for said chamber, there being scribed, the combination of a hollow'block forming a valve compartment, a thin flatsheet of celluloid secured to-said blockto forms wall for said compartment, said wall having an opening, a valve in said compartment for seating directly aglainst the flat surface of said wall about sai passage-way, a diaphragm below said compartment, a stem extending'from said diaphragm, and a supportingpin for said valve ha loose engagement and lateral play in sai stem whereby said valve may uniformly engage said wall.- A

6. In a'pneumatic scribed device of'the classdevthe combination, of a block having a diaphragm compartment, a diaphragm stretching across said compartment, a stem secured to the diaphragm, a wall formi valve seat, a valve, and asupporting'pin or no a said valve, said stem having a longltudinal opening of shghtly 'g'reaterdiameter. than said vpin for loosely receiving the end ofsaid pin whereby said valve is free to seat accurately against saidwalluponmovement of the diaphragm.

7, In a pneumatic unit'Jof-the classZ described,.the combinationof aphollow block forming a valve compartment, a sheet *of thin,-. smooth,"'elastic and dense material covering said block; to form a Hat wallfor said compartment, said-wall having anopn i f ns; n Phi/attain said compartment for seating d1rectly-;aga1nst the hat surface f said wallflaboutfs'aid' opening.

8. In aE-pneumatic unit o'f the class de scribedjthe combinaticntf a main block having a diaphragm. compartment, adiaphragm exten ing across said compartment a hollow block onsaid main block, a sheet of leading from the valve compartmentto the diaphragm compartment and an opening in the second mentioned 'sheet registering with the firstmentioned opening,- and a valve in, said compartment connected with the diaphragm to be raised and lowered upon actuation of the diaphragm and to engage directly and with air-tight fitagainst the flat surfaces of the sheets to control the openings therethrough.

9. In a pneumatic unit of the class de-- scribed, the combination of a main block having a diaphragm compartment, a diaphragm extending across said compartment,

va hollow block on said main block, a sheet of thin, smooth, dense and elastic material secured between the blocks, a second sheet of thin, smooth, dense and elastic mate- .rial secured to the top of the hollow block,

said first mentioned sheet forming an upper fiat wall for the diaphragm compartment and said first and second sheetsv forming avalve chamber [with the hollow block, there being'an opening through the -first mentioned sheet leading from the valve compartment to 'the diaphragm compartment and an opening in the second mentioned sheet registering with the first' mentioned opening, and a valve in said compartment connected withthe diaphragm to be raised and lowered upon actuation thereof, said valve being in the form of a flat disk having the same properties as the sheets whereby'said valve may engage directly and with air-tight -fit with the fiat surfaces of the sheets to control the openings therethrough.

LAMARTINE M. FRENCH. WILLIAM M. OBRIEN.' Witnesses; CHARLEs J. SCHMIDT, I

EDMUND Gr. Imuinsonn. J 

